A fireworks importer headquartered in Delaware County is renovating a long-empty Muncie factory into its third local warehouse.

North Central Industries currently owns two warehouses along Washington Street and the Boomers Fireworks store on South Walnut Street.  It will now spend $2.5 million to buy and renovate the former City Machine Tool & Die building on Washington Street.  The company says it will take the building on a brownfield “down to the I-beams” and rebuild it.

According to the company, North Central is committed to using local contractors to do the work.  The project will eventually create 10 full-time and 20 part-time jobs once it’s operational by 2023.

City Machine went out of business in 2007.  In a statement, Delaware County Commissioner Shannon Henry says the site has appeared in county tax sales for more than 10 years.

North Central has done business in Delaware County for 66 years.  It also owns a property in Forest Park, Georgia.